Air spring with damping valve



March 18, 1958 K. A. BROWNE El AL 2,827,233

AIR SPRING WITH DAMPING VALVE Filed July 14, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS KENNETH A.BROWNE 2 BY SERGE] G-GUINS JATTORNEYS March 18, 1958 Filed July 14, 1954 AREA OF 0RIF 1CE m so. m. 5

ORIFICE DIAMETER IN INCHES PRESSURE PSI.

K. A. BROWNE ET AL 2,827,283

AIR SPRING WITH DAMPING VALVE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 AREA OF ORIFCE PASSAGE PRESSURE DROP ACROSS OFUFICE 1 I 5 g l x 2 4 s s 10 mcHEs/sEc.

VELOCITY OF BELLOWS DEFLECTION ORIFICE PASSAGE CONTOUR 500 IINQIHES G INVENTORS KENNETH A.BROWNE y SERGE! UINS DEFLECTION OF VALVE SPRIN RATE OF lOLBS./|NCH ATTORNEYS United States Patent AIR SPRING wrrn DAMPING VALVE Kenneth A. Browne, Lakewood, and Sergei G. Guins, Olmsted Falls, Ohio, assignors to The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company, Cleveland, Ghio, a corporation of Virginia Application July 14, 1Q54, Serial No. 443,258

Claims. (Cl. 267-65) This invention relates to air spring apparatus of the kind frequently used for cushioning purposes between sprung and unsprung portions of vehicles.

As one of its objects, this invention aims to provide air spring apparatus of this kind which includes damping valve means for reducing or preventing periodic oscillation.

Another object is to provide such an air spring apparatus in which the damping valve means is located in passage means connecting the pressure chamber of a cylinder device with a reservoir and includes a valve member movable in an opening direction in response to the pressure of the fluid thereagainst.

Still another object is to provide air spring apparatus of the kind above mentioned in which the connecting passage includes an orifice portion relative to which the valve member is linearly movable axially of such orifice portion and in which the effective area of the orifice opening is a function of the linear movement of the valve member.

As another of its objects, this invention provides an improved air spring apparatus of the kind indicated above in which the orifice portion has a throat section and an adjacent tapered section whose transverse dimension increases progressively in a direction away from the throat section and in which the valve member cooperates with the wall of the tapered section in defining an annular valve opening whose area is a function of the linear movement of the valve member.

Additionally, this invention provides such an improved air spring apparatus in which spring means effective on the valve member urges the same toward an initial position adjacent the throat section of the orifice portion.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent in the accompanying drawings and in the following detailed description.

In such accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:

Fig. 1 is a view partially in vertical section showing air spring apparatus embodying the present invention and applied to vehicle structure;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the damping valve means of the air spring apparatus;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the orifice member of the damping valve and showing such orifice member in detached relation;

Fig. 4 is an axial section taken through the orifice member as indicated by section line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a partial bottom plan view of the damping valve; and

Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are diagrams illustrating various characteristics and operating functions of this air spring apparatus.

The drawings show this air spring apparatus 10 applied to vehicle structure 11 and comprising a cylinder device 12 having a pressure chamber 13 therein, a reser-.

voir 14, and means connecting the cylinder device with 2,327,283 Patented Mar. 18, 1958 the reservoir for the transfer of pressure fluid therebetween and including an oscillation damping valve 15.

The air spring apparatus 10 is applicable to various different kinds of vehicles, but the embodiment here illustrated is intended for railway car use, and the vehicle structure 11 is therefore represented as being that of a railway car. The cylinder device 12 is here shown as being a beliows 12a disposed in an upright relation between sprung and unsprung portions 16 and 17 of the vehicle. The vehicle portion 16 is here shown as being a portion of the frame or body of the vehicle and as being movable relative to the vehicle portion 17, the latter being here represented as a part of a wheeled truck or axle structure of the vehicle.

The bellows 12a comprises a flexible cylinder wall provided with a suitable number of annular convolntions 12b, in this instance two such convolutions. The upper end of the bellows 12a is secured to the plate member if: of the vehicle portion 15 as by means of the clamping ring i9 and the lower end of the bellows is secured to the plate member 29 of the vehicle portion 17 as by means of the clamping ring 21. The pressure chamber 13 is in communication with the reservoir 14 through the damping valve 15 and through a conduit 22 extending between such reservoir and damping valve.

The air spring apparatus 10 is here shown as also having a charging connection represented by the conduit 23 and through which air, or other elastic fluid under pressure, can be introduced into the chamber 13 of the bellows and the reservoir 14 for establishing a predetermined initial pressure therein or for replenishing such pressure from time to time as may be desirable. The charging conduit 23 communicates with the chamber 13 and the reservoir 14 through the damping valve 15. A suitable pressure indicating gauge 24 can be provided on the charging conduit 23.

The damping valve 15 serves the important purpose of reducing or eliminating periodic oscillation in the movements of the vehicle portion 16 relative to the vehicle portion 17. This damping valve comprises a body or housing 25 having a passage 26 therein which forms a part of the communicating passage between the reservoir 14 and the chamber 13 of the bellows 12a. The valve 15 is here shown as being located at the upper end of the bellows 12a by being suitably secured against the plate member 18.

The damping valve 15 also comprises an orifice member 27 which is suitably mounted in the passage 26 of the valve housing 25 as by means of the threaded connection 28, and a valve member 29 axially movable in the orifice member 27. The valve member 29 is slidably mounted on the intermediate portion of a guide rod 30 which extends through the orifice member 27 coaxially thereof.

The orifice member 27 is a tubular member, preferably in the form of an insert, having an intermediate substantially circular throat portion 31 representing the minimum transverse dimension of the passage 32 of this orifice member. The orifice member 27 also has tapered passage portions 33 and 34 located on opposite sides of and immediately adjacent to the throat portion 31. These tapered portions 33 and 34 will be further described hereinafter, but at this point of the description it is sufficient to explain that these passage portions are tapered circular passage portions whose transverse dimension increases progressively in a direction away from the throat portion 31.

The valve member 29 is of a relatively lightweight aluminum, magnesium, or the like. This valve member comprises a'circularmember havingran annular rim portion 35 of a relatively reduced axial thickness 1n cooperating relation to the wall of the. orifice member 27. In its initial or intermediate-position the valvemember- 29 isdisposed with its rimportion 35. in the throat portton. 31

with a small annular clearance between such rirngportion and the) wall of such throat-portion!- While the valve;

member 29 remains in thisinitial position, communication between the reservoir 14 and -the bellows chamber 13. is substantially closed. The valve member 29'1s'urgedtoward this initial positionin' the throat portion 31 ofthe.

orifice member 27 by a pair of compressionsprings 37 and 38'disposed around the guide rod 30 andengaging opposite sides of the valve member. p

The guide rod 30 is mountedin anaxial positionin the valve housing 25 by havingits lower end threadedly con? nected with a spider member 39. The spider member. 39 also formsia seat for the. lower end of the spring38 and is here shown as being'secured' to the valve housing by the threaded connection 40. A downwardly projecting sleeve portion of the spider member 39 extends into the 7 opening 41 of the plate 18 for connecting the lower end of the passage 26in communicating relation with the bellows chamber 13.

The upper end of the guide rod 30 has a reduced stem.

portion 42. thereon which is received in a central axial opening 43'provided in the underside of the valve housing cover 44. A nut 45-threadedly mounted on theguide rod' 30: forms an adjustable seat for the upper end of the spring 37. .The valve springs 37 and 38 can be loaded' sufiiciently byadjustment ofthe nut -45 .along the-rod 30, such that the valve member 29 can belocatedin'a' desired initial position.

\ Downward movement of the vehicle portion 16relative to the vehicle portion 17 produces a compression stroke 7 of. the bellows 12a during which the volume of'the: chamber 13 is decreased and air. under pressure is forced through the damping valve 15: into the reservoir 14.

During this compression stroke, the air pressure efiective against the valve member29 moves the same along the rod 30 in opposition to the resultant force of the combined action of the springs 37 and 38, thereby shifting, the valve member out of the throat portion 31 and into the tapered control portion 33. This upward opening movement of the valve member 29 causes the rimportion I 35 'to define with the surrounding wall of. the: tapered control portion 33 an intervening annular valve opening through which the air pressure flows from thebellows chamber to the reservoir 14.

The area of this annular valve openingdepends iupon the extent of the linear axial movement of the valve meme her away from the throat-portion31 and theextent of this axialmovement is, in turn, dependent -uponrtheair pressure acting against the valve member during the compression stroke. axial movement'of the valve member 29, the greater will be the area of the annular valve opening and the flow capacity for the displacement of air from the bellows chamber 13 into the reservoir '14.

During the rebound or expansion stroke, the expansion of the bellows 12a tends to produce a sub-normal pres sure in the bellows chamber 13, resulting in a tendency 'for air to flow fiom the reservoir 14 into the bellows The pressure'of the reservoir air against the valve member 29' shifts the same downwardly in opposi-I chamber.

tion to the resultant force of the combined action of the springs 37 and 38, thereby moving the valve'member' out'of the throat portion 31.into the. tapered control portion 34.

When the valve member is thus moved into :thecontrol, portion 34,.the rim portion 35 ofthe valve member will 'define with the taperedsvall of this control-portion an intervening annular valve openingthrough which theair pressure flows from the'reservoir. into the bellows chamber. The. area ofthis. annular valve opening-will be The greater the extent of the opening dependent on the extent of downward linear axial movement of the valve member 29 such that the greater the amount of suchaaxial movement, the greater will be the area of such annular valve opening and the greater the rate of flow of air pressure from the reservoir into the bellows chamber:

The resistance which the valve member29 thus offers to the transfer of pressure 'fluid betweenthe bellows chamber ,13-and;the.reservoir 14, produces a damping; eflecton the functioning of the air' spring apparatusilt') such that periodic oscillation in. the. relativegmovements between the vehicle portions 16 and l7 will-be substan- 1 tially reduced. or eliminated.

The drawings represent one example of the practical application of the1air-spring apparatus; 10 to railway car use in which the shape of the control portion 33 is such in relation to the control portion 34, that the valve 15 hasa greater flow restricting action. duringthecompres- S1011 stroke than duringthe expansion stroke. do this: particular example the reservoir has a volume oflapproxh mately 4,000 cubic inches-and the. bellows chamber. 13

has. a volume of approximately 510 c'ubicinchesfor the normal or initial condition of. the bellows.

of the confined fluid of the bellows chamber andfreser. voir is 94.7 p. s. i. absolute and the mean effective-crosssectional area ofthe bellows isapproximately 102 square.- mches. The. preloaded valve springs 37 and 38 hat/ea combinedlor resultant load effecton the valve member 29 equivalent to that of. a spring rate of 10 pounds per inch. 7

The tapered. shape andv transverse dimension for the control portions 33 and 34 of the orifice member 27 canbe determined either by calculation or experimentation.

Themanner of determining the tapered shape and transverse dimension for the control portion33 by calculation for the particular examplereferrcd to above, isexplainedv hereinafter.

Figs; 6, .7, and 8 are diagrams graphically illustrating structural and functional characteristics of air spring ap-f paratus of the kind here under consideration. In the diagram of Fig. 6 the curve 47 is a load deflection curve plotted for an air spring apparatus comprising the bellows.

" 7 12a and the reservoir 14, but with the damping valve 15- omitted. Thc curve 48 is a similar load deflection curve for thebellows 12a when the reservoir 14 and thedarnpeing valve 15 have both been. omitted and the bellows chamber l3 is a closed chamber; havingtherelastic pres: sure fluid. confined therein. The curve. ,49 is a pressure: vs. deflectioncurve plotted for-an air spring; apparatus; comprising the bellows: 12a. and the reservoir 14 butwithout the damping valve 15, and the curve'50 is a pressure vs. deflection curve plotted for the bellows 12a; as a;

closed chamber when the reservoir 14 and-,therdamping;

valve 15 have both been omitted. The performance of the air spring apparatus: 10,. which includes the reservoir 14 and the damping; valve; 15 would be represented by a; pressure 3 vs; deflection :curve :simila'r:

52b along the right .of the vertical axis represents bellows deflection 'withthe portiomjof'this scale extending above the horizontalaxis 53' representing extension'of the bel-f lows and the portionof this scale extending belowjthe horizontal axis-representing compression of the bellows.

" The horizontal axis 53 of Fig. 6 is'at' the'zero point of f the :scale 52. and .representsfthe heightjof the: bellows 1242 foriits normalzcondi-fiontnnder a loadapplied there The. pressure 1 to. The scale 53a extending along the upper side of the horizontal axis 53 represents the value of the load in pounds being applied to the bellows 12a and the scale values 53b along the underside of the horizontal axis represent the pressure in p. s. i. of the fluid in the bellows.

Fig. 7 illustrates characteristics and functioning of the air spring apparatus 10 by means of the curves 54 and 55. The curve 54 represents pressure drop across the valve opening or orifice of the damping valve 15 and is obtained by plotting values of the velocity of the axial deflection of the bellows 12a against variations in the pressure of the fluid confined in the air spring apparatus 1%). These velocity values in inches per second are laid off along the horizontal axis 56 and the values of pressure drop in p. s. i. are laid off along the vertical axis 57. The curve 55 represents the variable cross-sectional area of the passage portion 33 of the orifice member 27 and is obtained by plotting diflerent values of such passage area along the vertical axis 57 as against the velocity of bellows deflection measured along the horizontal axis 56. The scale 58 represents the values of cross-sectional area of the orifice passage portion 33 in square inches.

In Fig. 8 the curve 59 represents the shape of the wall of the tapered control portion 33 of the orifice member 27. This curve is obtained by plotting values of the diameter of the control portion 33 along the vertical axis 60 against valve spring deflection for the valve member 29 measured along the horizontal axis 61. The values of valve spring deflection also represent linear distances of movement of the valve member 29 axially of the orifice passage, that is, along the control portion 33.

The tapered shape for the control portion 33 of the orifice member 27 can be determined by calculation with the assistance of the diagrams of Figs. 6, 7, and 8 and, as an example of the procedure for such calculation, the following description is given in which it is assumed that critical damping in the operation of the air spring apparatus 10 would be that amount of damping in which substantially no periodic oscillation would occur. Twenty percent of such critical damping is assumed to be a satisfactory condition of operation for the air spring apparatus 10 for all practical purposes. It is also assumed that the compression and expansion of the elastic fluid confined in the apparatus will be in accordance with a polytropic process defined by the equation:

In this equation P is the initial pressure of the confined fluid and P is the pressure of the confined fluid corresponding with the loaded condition of the bellows 12a. V and V are the volumes of the confined fluid corresponding with such initial and loaded conditions of the bellows.

In Table I given hereunder, the values used in or obtained from the calculations employing the above Formula a are listed in columns 1 to inclusive.

Table l Volume V2 Vi/Vr Vi/V'i P2 of bellows Load Height in Cubic Lbs. Inches Inches (Normal position) 4, 610 98 975 92. 5 910 7, 000 8. 40 4, 710 96 9462 89. 7 1, 010 5, 300 9. 75 4, 810 94 920 87. 0 1, 110 2, 200 11. 55

The values of P given in column (4) of the above table are obtained from the calculations using Formula :1 and represent the pressure of the confined fluid of the bellows 12a and reservoir 14 for the loaded condition of the air spring apparatus 10. The values of column (5) represent the volume of the bellows chamber 13 for the different values of applied load. The values of columns (6) and (7) are obtained from characteristic curves of the bellows 12a which are furnished by the manufacturer of this device. The values listed in Table I are used in plotting the curves 47, 48, 49 and 50 of Fig. 6.

The curves 47 and 48 of Fig. 6 show that the rate of the deflection of the bellows 12a of the air spring apparatus 10 is essentially constant over the desired working range and that natural frequency f of the supported vehicle structure 16 in vertical motion will be represented by the following formula:

in which K is the spring constant in pounds per inch, g is the acceleration due to gravity, and W is the weight of the load in pounds.

The critical damping coefficient for the air spring apparatus 10 is obtainable from the following formula:

=1.158 cycles per second 307 pounds per inch, per second (d) C.20=.2 307=61.4 pounds per inch, per second Since the bellows 12a has a mean cross-sectional area of 102 square inches, it will be seen that the change in the pressure of the confined fluid for this twenty percent of critical damping will be 6l.4-:l02=.6 pound per square inch, per inch, per second. If it is assumed that the maximum vertical acceleration of the vehicle structure 16 is .15 g at the above-mentioned 1.158 cycles per second, then the maximum velocity of the bellows deflection will be given by the following formula:

accel. .15X386 (e) 21rf 1158x628 in which V is the maximum velocity of the bellows deflection, accel. is the maximum vertical acceleration of the vehicle structure, and f is the frequency in cycles per second. If the amplitude through which this maximum velocity of bellows deflection is effective is 1.27 inches, then the pressure drop across the damping valve 15 would be .6 7.96=4.78 pounds per square inch. With the above data, the cross-sectional area of the control portion 33 of the orifice member 27 can be calculated by the use of the following two formulae:

In the above formula V represents the velocity in foot seconds of the air through the orifice passage of the damping valve 15 required to produce the pressure resistance, g is the acceleration due to gravity, R is a constant, T is the absolute temperature, and P and P are the air pressures in the bellows for the initial and loaded conditions thereof. In the Formula g A represents the 7.96 inches per sec.

Formulae e, 'f, and g.are tabulated; :When the values'for the area of 'the :orificepass agehave beenthus obtained, the avalues for-the variable diameter of the orifice passage can besreadily calculated and the values and-results for such calculation are given .hereunde'r 'in'T able-III.

The curve 55iof Fig. 7 was plotted in accordance with these :calculated values of the area of theorifice as represented in Table H, and in Fig. Sthe curve- 59 wasplotted with the calculated values of the orifice diameter as given in Table HI. j t

a a ,Table Il a a Ampl. MaxxVel. AirVeLi Area or Accel. for of-Bellows 'F0r.20% through; GIOrifice in g. Accel. Deflection, Critical Orifice, Passage, Units in g. in./sec. I Damping Passage, j sqdu.

Units "ft/see; i

. 15 l. I 7. 95 4. 77 287 236 v l 73 5. 30 3. 18 245 184 t .05 .365 2.65 1559': 174 .130

T able III Defl. of Pressure Area of Total Valve von Valve Orifice Area of 17 Diameter :Diameter, Spring Member Passage Passage of Valve. of Valve (Inches) -(Lbs./ (Sq. In.) (Sq-:Inz) *Passage Passage 'Sq. 1 i V ;125 1.25 .105 1.105 -1.4i Lie .250 V 2.50 185 1.185 1.51 1.23 375 3. 75 225 1. 225 I 56 1. 25

In the dampingvalve 15,1the;control:passage portion 33 of the orifice member 27 is shown ashaving the.curved taper represented by the curve 59of'Figl 8, 'and the efieetivenessv of the idamping' valve during the :compression stroke ofithe bellows l 2a-oft-the air spring apparatus lli is;in accordance with the 'co'operation'ofthe'valve member 29 witha side wallhavingthis curvedtapered shape in defining ithe'-above-mentioned. annular -valve opening The control portion :34 lot :the orifice pass'age is shown as beinga straight taper inasmuch-as no:darn'pir'rg;action by the valve device .151 ismeeded during the expansion-'01- rebound stroke and .the flowthroug'h the damping: valve at this time should be such as topermit a substantially undamp'ed :downward amovement :of'ithe; vehicle'm'ember 17 and a corresponding relatively'fr'eeflow of pressure fluid back into the' bellow-s chamber- 13 from the reservoir '14 f If desired, however, the; controlportion 34 can have a curved taper similar to the. taper ofthe controlportion 33. :Likew ise,'if desired,"the'-orifice memben-lT'can-be constructed with-the tapers-ofth'e eontrol por-tiohs' 335ml 34 reversed from what isshoWn in FigI .2; that is to say, with the control portion 33 having the straight taperror cooperation with the valve member ;-29 dnrjing the compression stroke off=the "b'e'llow's' and the cont-rolportion 5-4 havingithehcurv'ed: t'aperior cooperation-inbuilt: valve member during the expansion stroke.

FromZthe accompanying. drawings faridtithe ioregoing detailed description, it will-now he -readily understood that this invention provides an. air spring apparatus which embodies a damping valvel-meanstof such construction and of such operational characteristics that the air spring apparatus 16 rwillvffunctionfsmoothlysand. etirciently with a minimum.amountzof:periodimoscillation;: r 11 j Although .:theiair;spring apparatusiof thiszinventinn has been illustratedand describedahereinato atsomewhatldee tailed extent, it ".will JoemnderstoodeZof fcourseithatithe invention is :notrto-tbecrgarded es being :limited time spondingly ,inscope, but includes all? changes and. modifi- 8 cationsrcoming within the spirit of the invention and the scope .of the claims hereof. n a

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In .airispring' apparatus, a flexible bellows adapted to'be subjected to load andh'aving a chamber containing fluid underan initial pressure, a reservoir containingfluid under-said initial pressure, means connecting said chamber with 'said reservoir for the transfer of pressure' fluid therebetween including a passage portion having a throat section and an annular tapered section axially contiguous to the throat section and increasing in transverse dimensionfor increasing distances in an axial direction away from said throat section, a valve member in said passage portion and restricting said transfer of pressure fluid for producing an oscillation damping effect, and spring'means urging said valve member toward a position of maximum flow restriction in said throat section, the wall zof said' annular tapered section being axially and. circumferentially concave and said valve member being 'movable along said tapered section forincreasingtheflowcapac-.

ity through said passage portion 'in response to the pressure of the fluid on said valve-'memberfsu'ch that said valve member is'efiective for damping periodic oscillation's by absorption of energy; substantially in proportion to-the rate of'the flexing movement of the bellows.

2. spring apparatus as defined in claim '1 in which said valve'member has an initial pofsition in said 'throat sectionto which it is movable by said spring means, and in which the movement of said' valve member for increasing theflow capacity is in a 'direction away from said throat section and-'along-saidtaperedsection.

3. In ,air'spring apparatus, a flexible b ellow'shaving a chamber containing fluid under pressure, arese rvoir containing fluid under pressure, means defining a passage connecting said chamber withsaidrese'ryoir for thetransfer of pressure fluid therebetween, said passage having a throat portion of a substantially circular cross-sectionand tapered portions of a substantially circularcross scction on opposite sides of said throat portion and of progres-1 sively increasing diameter in 'a direction away fromisaid throat portion, a substantially circular valvemember in 'said passage'and having an opening movement linearly of said passage and in a direction way from said throat portion in response to the pressure of said fluidagainst said valve member, and springs in said'means'engaging'opposite sides of said valve member and urging the same toward an initial position-in said throat portion, the wall of at least one of said tapered portions bein-gaxially .a'nd circumferentially concave and said va1ve member defin:

'ing with saidwall an annular valve opening having an effective area which is 'affunction of the lineal displacement of said valve'rnembe'r relative to said throat porbetween, flexing ofsaid bellows'incornpression byrelative movement between saiclparts being resisted by the resulting further compression-of the fluid in said chamber and reservoir, a valve in said passage compn'singrelatively movable valve parts, one of said valve parts being a hollow insert having a substantially circular throat .portion and the other valve partbeing a substantially circular valve member, and spring means urgingsaid valve 3 member. toward a position ofsrnaximumfiow restriction in said .throat portion,tsaid insert :havingnn axially and cir-;

cumferentially concave tapered annular wall defining a:

tapered passage portion contiguous to said throat portion and of increasing transverse dimension in an axial direction away from said throat portion, said valve member being movable along said tapered passage portion for increasing the flow capacity through said valve in response to the pressure of the fluid on said valve member such that said valve is effective for damping periodic oscillations by absorption of energy substantially in proportion to the rate of the flexing movement of the bellows:

5. Air spring apparatus as defined in claim 4 and which includes a guide rod substantially coaxial with said insert, and in which said spring means and said valve member are mounted on said rod, said valve member having a body portion slidable on said rod and an annular rim portion of relatively reduced axial thickness extending toward the wall of said insert.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,087,890 Rogers Feb. 17, 1914 2,017,419 Mercier Oct. 15, 1935 2,352,351 Thornhill June 27, 1944 2,361,575 Thompson Oct. 31, 1944 2,713,498 Brown July 19, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 171,055 Great Britain Nov. 10, 1921 

